1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for preparing tufted carpets and more particularly it relates to the use of polyethylene, polypropylene and ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer film as secondary backing in tufted carpets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Presently most of the tufted carpet manufactured has jute as the secondary backing. As a result of the numerous disadvantages of jute there have been efforts made for finding a suitable substitute.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,284 discloses the method for preparing tufted carpets by using a plastisol composition as the backsizing agent and heat sealing a thermoplastic backing sheet, preferably a closed-cell foam to the plastisol coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,616,138 relates to bonding foamed thermoplastic resins such as polyethylene, ethylene/vinyl acetate, PVC, polyisobutylene, etc., foams to tufted carpets which are already backsized, for example, with a latex adhesive. The foamed underlayer is attached by sewing it in place or by gluing by pressure sensitive adhesive or latex of a natural or synthetic rubber, or by being applied to the partially dried bonding composition of the primary backing and thus eliminating the need for additional adhesives. After the foamed resin is applied to the carpet the adhesives or bonding composition is dried out.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,946 concerns a method of combining textile materials and a specific application for adhering a secondary backing web to a carpet by applying the adhesive from a heated manifold type distributing apparatus and using secondary backing materials such as rubber latex foam, polyurethane foam, butadiene-styrene foam and a rubber secondary backing sheet. This patent further discloses that "two or more components of various materials, such as fabrics of natural or synthetic fibers, natural or synthetic rubber sheet or foam, polyurethane and other polymeric foams, polypropylene woven and nonwoven backings, polymeric films and the like can be combined using hot melt adhesive according to the method of the invention."